A Doctor Night
by One Nutty Tree
Summary: The Doctor always has nightmares, it's one of the reasons why he particularly hates sleeping. But after an especially bad one that Amy witnesses it high time he had some comfort.


Amy awoke. She smiled as she found herself staring into the eyes of her snoring husband. She glanced at her watch on the bedside table out of habit. Time passed confusingly in the TARDIS, they slept when they had the time. Amy's body clock was a mess! According to her watch it was two in the morning back at home. Groaning she rolled over and tried to get to sleep revelling in the luxury of the big bed. Thank god the Doctor had gotten rid of the bunks! She snuggled up to Rory and closed her eyes.

Someone yelled.

Amy pulled on the nightie she'd worn on her first TARDIS trip and followed the voice. Her motives were a mix of irritation and curiosity by this point. Soon she was by the staircase leading into the main control room. This was where the Doctor slept: fully clothed in his everyday tweed, braces and bowtie. It just didn't feel homey enough anywhere else he'd agued. He liked being beside the TARDIs core listening to its comforting hum. It was a lullaby that sang him to sleep every night on the comfy chair by the side of the console. All the same he didn't look too comfortable.

The Doctor was yelling and writhing as if in some kind of fit. Amy could only watch in shock. Eventually his twisted jerks sent him tumbling off the makeshift bed. This woke him up. Amy ran over, disturbed by the terror in his eyes and his suddenly shaky disposition. She took him by the hand and they sat together side by side. She could feel his fingers trembling.

"Doctor are you okay?"

Silence.

"Doctor – "

"It was a just a nightmare." he explained but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself rather than Amy.

"Are they always that bad?" Amy asked in concern.

"Woo it's been a while since I last had one that bad!" the Doctor said trying to wave the matter away. He wouldn't meet her eyes. Amy could tell he was lying. "Sorry I woke you."

"What was it about?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"If you get it off your chest – I mean, subconscious then maybe it'll stop bothering you in dreams." Amy offered surprised by her own knowledge when it came to excuses.

There was quiet for a few minutes, as if the Doctor had to muster up strength to talk about it. Then he began.

"All my past companions were there. Donna, Rose, Martha – the lot of them."

"Surely that's a good thing?" questioned a puzzled Amy.

"They were looking at me with such lost eyes. Especially Donna, I can't say I blame her, she acted as a ringleader for the crowd. She opened her mouth and all that attitude was thrown at me, like a physical blow, one huge accusation. I'd abandoned them, replaced them, discarded them and done so much worse. Then the cycle would begin again. She accused me of being a Timelord. Then the mob came towards me. They began to attack and I began to scream. More and more victims joined in. I was trapped being beaten to a bloody pulp by friends and part of me knew I deserved it."

He looked at Amy with tear filled eyes. She gaped like a goldfish. How could her hero think of himself like that? He was one of the best things that had ever happened to her! But how could she possibly comfort him? She felt more like giving him a good telling off but Amy knew that was not the way.

She remembered what her mum used to do when she had nightmares. Mrs Pond would hug her until her eyes were dry and would then get Amy her favourite snack – milk and cookies. So Amy hugged the Doctor resting her head on his shoulder as his own heaved. He'd had practise at crying silently. It was like comforting a shy child.

Later she couldn't help but laugh at his glee when she brought him the bowl of fish custard.

"Feeling better?"

"Definitely!" he exclaimed with his mouth full. "I should get upset more often! Where did you get this from?"

"I have my ways." Amy replied mysteriously.

She grinned at the memory of the emergency stock the TARDIS provided in the kitchen. Each cupboard was a room deep and was labelled with a number. After finding and devouring some jellybeans in cupboard number four she proceeded to number eleven and found exactly what the Doctor had needed.

She could tell from his expression it was a remedy like no other. Satisfied that her work was done Amy turned.

"Now I'm going to go get some sleep if you don't mind!"


End file.
